School mentoring scheme celebrates success
London Stansted has held a special event to celebrate the success of a mentoring scheme for students from Forest Hall School in Stansted Mountfitchet.
The scheme, now in its ninth year, pairs year 11 students with airport employees who lend extra support during their challenging GCSE year by drawing on their experience both in the business world and in life.
11 airport employees participated this school year, including those from project management, the airport skills academy, security, and compliance. They were each matched with a student who they worked with once every two weeks since the start of the school term last October.
To mark the end of this year’s scheme the airport invited the students and their mentors to a celebratory lunch at the Aerozone on Monday (15th April) where they were awarded certificates and enjoyed a behind the scenes tour of the airfield.
Kayleigh Trainor, Assistant Head at Forest Hall School, said:
“Our students have been incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to participate in the Stansted Airport mentoring scheme. We have been doing this for several years now and each year we see such a positive impact mentoring has on our students; they grow in confidence and look forward to each session with their mentor.”
Alex Smith, London Stansted’s Education Manager, said:
“One of my favourite jobs each year is organising our annual mentoring programme with our partner secondary school, Forest Hall. Since we launched it nine years ago more than 100 students from have benefitted from being a part of the scheme. It allows pupils to hear from professionals outside their school environment about how to prepare for life in the workplace, and hopefully pick up some valuable hints and tips ahead of their exams. It also allows us to hear first-hand about the hopes and ambitions of the workforce of the future."
Airport Employment Outreach Coordinator, Mollie Fletcher, was mentoring for the first time this year. Mollie said:
“It was a pleasure to hear young people share their aspirations and talk about things with you. Taking part in this scheme has been a learning experience for both me and the student I mentored. I’m already looking forward to doing again next year."